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03/06/2017 11:00 PMDo you know all the places you will go if you pick up a book? Elementary schools in Region 4 celebrated all the ways in which books can bring people together through the works of Dr. Seuss and Read Across America activities last week.
Chester Elementary School (CES) has been celebrating with its Read Across America/Read Across Chester program for about 20 years.
“In years past, the goal was to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday,” said Lisa Handfield, the reading consultant at CES. “This year we focused on reading, especially reading nonfiction. Students had a chance to be read to by people they don’t usually hear from like the music teacher or the nurse.
“Being read to is important, because the language of books is different than social language,” Hanfield continued. “There is also the experience of sharing that book with an adult. We’ve found that a lot of students don’t get read to at home, but it promotes dialogue and bonding.
“It encourages them to enjoy reading more, and make reading a habit, a natural part of the day, and of life,” said Hanfield.
Readers included Tyson Stoddard, who will be principal of CES next year; music teacher Meg Gister; and current principal Joanne Beekley, and all selections were nonfiction and related to the students’ curriculae in some way. Stoddard opened a discussion on the American Revolution with Don Brown’s Henry and the Cannons to the 4th graders, while Gister shared composer Haydn’s music and story with 5th graders through The Farewell Symphony by Anna Harwell Celenza. Beekley shared her love of and experience visiting national parks by reading The Camping Trip that Changed America by Barb Rosenstock.
Dr. Andrea Ricci, the Deep River Elementary School (DRES) reading and language arts consultant, coordinated a full week of Seuss-themed activities for the school. Each day had a special theme related to one of Seuss’s books and a 6th grader was invited to read a passage from the book during the morning announcements among other activities.
“We encourage [reading] all year, but this is a time where we can get the kids excited and embracing things they love,” said Ricci. “They just get excited about and celebrate reading.”
“It’s an opportunity to put an emphasis on the importance of reading,” said DRES Principal Christian Strickland. “Reading is a life-long learning skill, regardless of career. We aim to educate the whole child, so this is another piece of the entire school program that we promote here.”
“There is something about being able to touch the text and pictures; it is incomparable,” Ricci said. “Reading aloud is not just reading, but it’s that oral interaction, too, whether it is kid to kid or adult to kid. We use this to reiterate that reading is a great opportunity to connect.”
Valley Regional High School (VRHS) students dressed up in striped hats and whiskers and took a trip out to Essex Elementary School to read to classes; the school paired celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday with Kindness Week, decorating doors with positive messages and discussing the themes of Seuss’s books.
Blair Allen, a junior at VRHS, came to read to the kids for the first time.
“I thought it was something nice to do to give back,” said Allen. “I read The Sneetches. It has a good lesson about being kind and not judging a book by its cover. I think it is nice for them to have someone to look up to, someone who is not a teacher to teach them about something.”
“The kids enjoy having the older kids come and share their love of reading,” said Library Media Specialist Renee Mitchill. “No matter how old we all love to hear a story, and love that shared experience.
“Its just a great way to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday, too. He brought humor into children’s literature and changed the way we inspire kids to read,” continued Mitchill.